Calabarzon, Soccsksargen domestic workers get wage hike

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MANILA, Philippines — The last two awaited minimum wage adjustments for domestic workers in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City) regions were issued on June 30, the last day of the Duterte administration.

Effective July 16, domestic workers in Calabarzon cities and first-class municipalities will be entitled to at least P5,000 monthly pay, from the P3,500 current rate.

Their counterparts in other municipalities in the region will be entitled to at least P4,000 monthly wage, from the current P3,000.

Also effective on July 16, the new minimum monthly wage for domestic workers in Soccsksargen will be P4,500 in cities and first-class municipalities and P4,000 in the rest of the municipalities.

This represented a P500 increase from the current rate.

The National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) said these last two regional wage board orders were issued on June 30.

The minimum wage hikes were readily approved by the NWPC and published the next day for them to take effect on July 16, or 15 days after publication.

Started on June 4

Former Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III instructed all regional wage boards to adjust the daily minimum wage in March due to surging prices brought by the Russia-Ukraine war.

The wage boards took at least two months before they issued their orders in May and June.

The new daily minimum wage rates in all regions, except the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, which is outside the jurisdiction of the NWPC, took effect starting June 4.

For domestic workers, the new highest minimum monthly rate is P6,000 in Metro Manila (from P5,000) while the lowest is P3,500 in Zamboanga Peninsula and Northern Mindanao (from P3,000).

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